Student Safety
Not only does ISM comply with all applicable health and safety laws, we go far beyond by working to continually understand and execute best practices in all health and safety areas. We recognize that it takes the collaborative efforts of our staff, students, parents/guardians, campus visitors, and service providers to achieve this goal on a daily basis.
Our Greatest Safety Asset
While strong safety procedures, practices, and equipment are absolutely essential, the greatest safety asset that a school can have in place is a vigilant community where every set of eyes focuses on the safety and wellbeing of every one every day. We have that! Our ISM community is made up of educators, parents, and students who clearly live our mission as “conscientious, compassionate, and responsible citizens” keeping an eye out for each other.
Health & Safety Policy
Under the guidance of the Health & Safety Committee and outside advisors, the ISM Board of Trustees has adopted the ISM Health & Safety Policy as the underlying foundation and overarching framework for the Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP) and related health and safety policies, practices, procedures, and plans.
Annual Comprehensive School Safety Plan Update
The California Education Code requires that all school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools annually update a Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP) by March 1. The ISM CSSP references multiple safety- and wellbeing-related documents, which become part of the CSSP by citation. Though we do not publish or publicly share a few of the CSSP components due to sensitive or confidential content, we maintain them as part of our internal operational CSSP, made available to staff and safety partners as appropriate. We do publicly publish the vast majority of the CSSP component documents on the ISM Official Documents website including the following:
- Discipline Plan
- Discipline ~ Suspension and Expulsion Policies and Procedures
- Employee & Volunteer Driver Policy
- Student Dropoff & Pickup Procedures
- Emergency Preparedness Plan
- LGBTQ Student Support Resources List
- Map (fire evacuation routes and fire extinguishers)
- Map (post-emergency reunification)
- Policy Against Sexual Harrassment
- Permission to Leave Campus Unattended
- Student Pickup Expectations and Procedures
- Substance-Free School Policy
- Suicide Prevention Policy
- Wellness Policy
Safety Partnerships
We maintain vital partnerships with Monterey Peninsula Unified School District as our facility provider and charter authorizer; CharterSAFE, the joint powers authority we contract for insurance and risk management services; the City of Seaside police and fire departments; an expanding network of school district contacts overseeing health, safety, and risk management; and organizations providing valuable web-based and in-person training on a broad range of safety topics. The field of school safety is continually evolving and, by working together with these partners, ISM continues to deepen its knowledge and implementation of relevant safety practices. This has led to wide praise and recognition for our thoughtful and thorough safety planning and practices from these partners and other observers.
Anti-Bullying Curriculum
Part of being a vigilant community is teaching our students how to be "upstanders" rather than bystanders. We promote the belief that students can and should make a difference in stopping bullying in our community. Along with our anti-bullying policy, we also have an anti-bullying curriculum that is implemented through all grade levels. These anti-bullying lessons are part of our social-emotional-health (SEH) approach which is modeled after responsive classroom techniques. Our assistant principal visits classrooms throughout the year to implement the anti-bullying curriculum and followup with students regularly.
Health & Safety Committee
Our reputation for staying on top of student safety and wellbeing reflects the dedicated work of our Health & Safety Committee. With outstanding staff involvement and incredible professional representation, the committee oversees an exemplary process of continuous improvement.
Over the years, the Health & Safety Committee's guidance and the work of the ISM community have put a long list of security, safety, and health measures in place including the following:
- A perimeter fence with lockable gates, which routes all visitors through the front office
- A visitor sign-in and badging system to make sure everyone on campus belongs and can be accounted for during an emergency or drill
- Emergency response plans, developed in partnership with the Seaside Police and Fire Departments as our first responders
- Off-campus evacuation locations coordinated with neighboring schools and churches
- A regular schedule of drills in preparation for fires, lockdowns, and natural disasters, with a debrief dedicated to improvement following each drill
- Highly effective working relationships with the City of Seaside police and fire departments
